Talk:Skarner/Strategy/@comment-24634861-20141126190918
What do you guys think of my (full) build? * (plus whatever enchantment the match calls for) * + * (OR if APCs are too much to handle) * * * * (ONLY if you're having mana problems or you're dealing with an excess of AP weak enemies / extreme late game) Alternatively, get as an alternative to Iceborn if having 130 defense isn't that crucial. Late game, replace Ranger's Trailblazer with Frozen Heart or Abyssal Scepter. Iceborn doesn't scale into late-game as well as Triforce, so keep that in mind. Alternatively you could get Iceborn and sell it later on to get Trinity Force. Another way to look at it is: if you're on solo que, get Iceborn. You will be able to gank more effectively if you're teammate doesn't assist you for whatever reason. If you are playing with people you know (or have Teamspeak / Skype), then get Trinity because you can count on your teammate to provide CC. This is much different from my perma-slow build, that one had a lot of faults and easily exploited weaknesses! This one as far as I know does not. Obviously I don't follow this to the letter as every match is unique; this is just what typically benefits Skarner the majority of the time. Anyway, let's get to the actual guide. This is for Jungle Skarner: I find that since Skarner's early game is a tad weak, getting Trailblazer makes early/mid game sustain a lot better. With this build Skarner pretty much has every option available. Team fights can get pretty ridiculous if you flash in, proc Randuin's Omen, and ult the support or APC to pull them into your team. The good thing about this build is that if the MR and Armor isn't enough he has enough health to keep him going as he retreats. The only issue with this is that Skarner will be starved of Mana so you will have to either always have the Blue buff or you will be recalling a great deal. He has sustain through Banshee's Veil and , and the spell shield assists a great deal in ganks and avoiding pokes (I'm looking at you, !) I'm pretty certain that the rest of the build is solid due to the tankiness, sustain, and slow resists. Another possible problem is that the +55 magic resistance might not be enough for some matches and I see no other alternative items that would offer additional MR. If APCs are a problem then go with Abyssal Scepter; it does not add any more MR but it does help you chip away at APCs better (and assist your team more in a teamfight than Banshee's Veil does). If only the was available in Summoner's Rift, it would offer Skarner SO MUCH! Better still, ! Although you usually see a lot of Skarners going for , this build does not have them. Why? Because since their nerf to +25 MS in combat, Skarner cannot escape anyone with a ranged slow (or any ranged ability). If they are returned to their former glory then you can rest assured that I will enter them into this build! Boots of Swiftness plus make it so you will almost always escape a failed gank (in total you get a 60% !) and you won't be kited nearly as badly. You also won't have to burn your Flash on escaping and can use it for ganking and teamfights. I don't list what enchantment I use for the boots because I think that it is very dependent on who you are facing. Not all of the enchantments will help Skarner, so I suggest: , , or . doesn't help because Skarner only has one single target spell ® Distortion can be beneficial to an extent, but it's more of a preference than anything. * If you get Alacrity then do it mid-game, as it will not benefit you or your team much in team battles. It will benefit you with ganks and retreat. This is the item to get in solo que, along with Homeguard. * Homeguard is what you should get mid-late game if you are recalling a lot (i.e. mana being a problem) or are being pushed more than your team is pushing. It is a defensive item and not to be gotten until you know you will need it. * Captain is what you should get early-game if the enemy Jungler is better than you/the enemy team is ganking a lot. It will grant your team hasty retreats and speedy advances, or it might save you if the enemy is overwhelming. It is a team item and will help in any situation where teamwork is essential. The Boots of Swiftness are good enough on their own that you should not be enchanting them until you have acuired your tanky items. They are a late-game bonus, hardly ever a necessity. Get this if you know your teammates. I think that the rest of the build speaks for itself. Iceborn Gauntlet is just Skarner's bread and butter, and while I could have gone with Trinity Force for the default build, it just doesn't give him the tankiness that "Frozen Fist" does. While it does help him deal more damage, it doesn't help with the build's mana issues as well. Another thing is that I think that it's better to proc the weaker more often (with the slow) than less (without) Plus it doesn't supply him with the Cooldown Reduction that Skarner needs to become the threat that he can be. This build supplies him with the 40% cap in CDR that will allow him to constantly proc Spellblade's additional damage through spamming Q. Crystal Slash plus Nashor's Tooth will allow him to ramp up his AS in a flash (derr-hurr) to deal physical and magic damage while sticking to the target (his Q lacks the speed to hit retreating targets, so to stack it you have to slow the enemy) He can build up stacks to get the full usefulness of his R, instead of having to use it right away. In short, I think that this mix of resistances and escape options will allow Skarner to succeed at any point of a match against most champions (Teemo and Annie can be a pain) While early game is still a bit of an uphill battle, his sustain will carry him into mid-game with momentum! Please tell me what you think of my new build. Yes, I wrote this. I may update it with a guide outlining how to Jungle as Skarner, I don't really know yet. I am a level 18 Skarner main and I'm looking for constructive criticism, not the opposite.